Hey Kids! Here is a selection of new junior non fiction to read in November. Check out new books from the Little People, Big dreams series, books full of Disney inspired ideas, how to cook healthy recipes designed for Kiwi kids and learn new languages.

“Let your imagination run wild with Disney arts and crafts, party games, puzzles, and papercraft. With magical projects for every level of ability and clear, step-by-step, illustrated instructions, you will never be bored again! Build Cinderella’s castle, take off with Buzz Lightyear’s wings, dress up in Moana’s flower crown, play Snow White bowling, race Lightning McQueen on your own racetrack, and much, much more.” Ideal for Disney themed parties!

This delightfully illustrated preschool book introduces the Japanese language in a playful and gentle way. Organized in a familiar ABC structure, everyday words and expressions as well as words that have special significance in Japanese culture offer even very young children an enticing glimpse into Japanese daily life.

This comprehensive visual dictionary is the perfect Star Wars book for getting to know the galaxy far, far away. Packed with more than 1,500 stunning images, it showcases major and minor characters including Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, creatures, vehicles, weapons, props, and items of tech in unparalleled detail. Beautiful photography and engaging text written by Star Wars experts examines the finer points of Padmé Amidala’s costumes, displays Boba Fett’s array of weaponry, studies Darth Vader’s armour, and reveals the lesser-known background stories too many of the characters. Find out who Poe Dameron’s idol is, discover the tech behind BB-8’s rolling motion, and much, much more! Fully updated to include the latest instalments of the Skywalker saga – Star Wars The Force Awakens and Star Wars The Last Jedi – this invaluable reference guide incorporates all the latest stories and characters. The definitive companion to the Star Wars movies, Star Wars The Complete Visual Dictionary is a must-buy for the beginner and the die-hard Star Wars fan alike.

Who did Cleopatra grow up with? Where did Gengis Khan’s fierce nature come from? And what was life like in the Kennedy household? Step into the lives of 25 famous faces from history and discover the intricate web of family that helped make them. Loved and loathed, this introduction to history comes with twenty-five family trees for the whole family to explore.

From advice on finding magic and thinking nice thoughts, to the importance of frequent whizzpopping, the writing of Roald Dahl is filled with wit and wisdom and advice for little people growing up – and big people growing down.

Why are things the way they are? Why do we do things a certain way? Wouldn’t it be better if we did things differently? The Short & Curly Guide to Life poses the thorniest questions and the toughest topics to think about – all in the most fun and entertaining way! You’ll find yourself wondering if it’s okay to break a promise – even if it is in a video game! Questioning whether you would want to spend eternity in an amazing virtual reality. Umming and ahhing over whether there’s anything wrong with keeping the cutest baby fox for a pet . . . and so much more! Covering topics such as fairness, bullying, bravery, friendship and choice, The Short & Curly Guide to Life is a must-read for every child, parent and teacher.

Get your reading eyes ready, set up your novel nook, grab the cat and book in some reading time… the Summer Reading Challenge is back!

Starting 1 December 2018 and running through to 31 January 2019, your challenge is to read and review as many books from the reading list as possible. There are lots of instant and major prizes to be won.

Based on the popular series by R.L. Stine, Goosebumps comes to life on the small screen. After moving to a small town, teenager Zach Cooper discovers that his new friend, Hannah’s mysterious dad is in fact R.L. Stine, the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series and holds a dangerous secret that bridges the gap between fiction and reality.

Also check out the trailer to the sequel: Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween.

Join Casper the friendly ghost is a kind young ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion in Maine. When specialist James Harvey (Bill Pullman) arrives to communicate with Casper and his fellow spirits, he brings along his teenage daughter, Kat (Christina Ricci). Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state, but also by his troublemaking apparition uncles and their mischievous antics.

Mike Wazowski and James “Sulley” P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn’t stand each other. Monsters University unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.

In Monsters Inc, Lovable Sulley and Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at MONSTERS, INC., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, monsters are scared silly, and it’s up to Sulley and Mike to get her back home. But Boo’s presence is more than just a mere accident. Now, Mike and Sulley have to face an enemy within their own ranks. Overall a heart-warming movie where guaranteed to scare and make you laugh.

What if you could bring your pets back to life? Young Victor successfully proves that theory when he revives his best friend back to life. However problems emerge when his class mates want follow suit in bringing their pets to life and ensues disastrous consequences. Overall a heart-warming and hilarious tale about how far a boy will go for his best friend. A must see movie for Halloween.

A community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. The town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher, comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, so Eggs decides to venture above ground, ‘into the light,’ where he meets and teams up with feisty Winnie. Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs’ family.

A young girl walks through a secret door that she has found in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life, but much better. When her adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents, including the Other Mother, try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family.

The Hotel Transylvania, run by Dracula, is a unique, high-end resort catering only to the finest monsters and their families. Check out The Hotel Transylvania trilogy and watch all three films back to back starting with the original film, where Dracula is preparing for an extra special weekend – his daughter Mavis’s 118th birthday – when trouble arises: a human has stumbled upon the resort for the first time ever! Even worse: the human has taken a liking to Mavis! In the sequel, everything seems to be changing for the better at Hotel Transylvania. Dracula’s rigid monster-only hotel policy has finally relaxed, opening up its doors to human guests. But behind closed coffins, Drac is worried that his adorable half-human, half-vampire grandson, Dennis, isn’t showing signs of being a vampire. In third film, A monster vacation, The monster family embarks on a vacation on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can take a summer vacation from providing everyone else’s vacation at the hotel. It’s smooth sailing for Drac’s Pack as the monsters indulge in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer. But the dream vacation turns into a nightmare when Mavis realizes Drac has fallen for the mysterious captain of the ship, Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret that could destroy all of monster kind.

An oldie but a goodie, watch Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone and relive the magic where Harry learns on his eleventh birthday that he is the orphaned son of two powerful wizards and possesses unique magical powers of his own, becoming a student at Hogwarts, an English boarding school for wizards and having to battle some “enemies” along the way. In the Chamber of Secrets, Harry finds the second year more challenging with flying cars, trees fighting back, duelling clubs and a fifty year old secret that threatens to destroy Hogwarts.

When teenager Lucas (voice of Phillip Vasquez) discovers that he is not human as he always thought, his world is turned upside down as he must adapt to being a monster. Not only is Lucas troubled by the fact that his first transformation occurred at school but also that his father had kept him in the dark about his true nature. His frustrations lead Lucas to leave home in pursuit of the fabled Monster Island with the hope of learning the truth about his heritage. His journey brings him into contact with several weird and wonderful individuals, not all of whom have good intentions.

To many of us, Halloween is not much more than an excuse to wear a spooky costume, listen to some scary stories and maybe carve up a pumpkin, all while hoovering up more lollies than is probably wise. However, to find out more about why people the world over celebrate this holiday, we have to step back in time to visit the ancient Celts, with quick stopovers in 7th-century Rome and 16th-century Germany along the way.

Let’s go for a spooky ride through time.

The brainy people who study such things generally agree that Halloween finds its roots in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced sa-win). Samhain was traditionally held on November 1, and it marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter, the “dark half” of the year. Ancient Celts believed that during Samhain the world of the gods became visible to ordinary people, and the gods delighted in frightening and playing tricks on their worshippers. Sometimes they appeared as monsters in the dead of night. Sound familiar?

When the Romans conquered Britain in the 1st century CE, they merged Samhain with their own festival of the dead, Feralia. Now the frightening monsters and delicious treats of the harvest were joined by ghosts and restless spirits. The traditions that make up modern Halloween were starting to take form.

Fastforward to Rome, 7th century CE. Pope Boniface IV brought in All Saints’ Day, originally celebrated on May 13 — within a century, the date was changed to November 1, perhaps in an attempt to replace the pagan Samhain festival with a Christian equivalent. The day before All Saints’ Day was considered holy, or ‘hallowed.’ This is where the word ‘Halloween’ comes from — it is the Hallowed Eve.

Zoom forwards in time again to Germany, 16th century CE. The Protestant Reformation, led by people like Martin Luther and John Calvin, put a stop to the still pagan-influenced Halloween festival in most Protestant countries. However, in Britain and Ireland, the festival remained in place as a secular (non-religious) holiday, and the tradition followed English-speaking settlers to the United States, where it is still a hugely important part of the festive calendar. Many of the traditions introduced in the dark and mysterious woods and cairns of ancient Celtia live on to this day in the form of the modern Halloween festival.

Interested in learning more about this fascinating and era-spanning festival, and the people who celebrated it? Why not check out some of these books at your local library:

Celts by Sonya Newland
“The Celts were fearsome warriors, but they also developed trade routes across Europe and made beautiful jewellery. Find out about Celtic tribes, how Boudicca rebelled against the Romans, and how the Celts celebrated with feasts and festivals.” (Catalogue)

Prehistoric Britain by Alex Frith
“From the age of dinosaurs to the Roman invasion, this book tells the story of this vast and exciting period of British history. It describes when and how people first came to Britain, and includes information on the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Celts and the mysteries of Stonehenge. Full of facts, illustrations, photographs, maps and timelines.” (Catalogue)

Celebrate Halloween by Deborah Heiligman
“Vivid images and lively, inviting text illuminate the spookiest night of the year. This book spirits readers on a tour of Halloween celebrations around the globe as it explores the rich history of this holiday and the origins of its folklore, food, games, costumes, and traditions.” (Catalogue)

Traditional celebrations by Ian Rohr
“This interesting book is part of a series written for young students that focuses on a wide variety of celebrations and festivals held for special occasions throughout the world. It focuses on traditional celebrations.” (Catalogue)

Little People Big Dreams, written by Isabel Sánchez Vegara, is a collection of biographies with simple text and eye catching illustrations, about famous people, (mainly women), who pursued a dream no matter how impossible it seemed and who truly made a difference. Wellington City Libraries has various books by Sanchez in the collection and continues to grow with the edition of five new books from the series.

Anne Frank was born in Germany to a loving family. But when World War Two broke out, Anne and her family had to hide in a secret annex in Amsterdam. Here, Anne wrote her famous diary, describing her belief in people’s goodness and her hopes for peace. After the war, her diary captured the hearts of the public and she became one of the most important diarists of the 20th century. This story of her life features a facts and photos section at the back.

How exciting, kids! Here are some new kids fiction books that you can grab from your local library. Whether you like Coding, music, horses or a bit of a mystery, there’s bound to be something here that’s for you.

Jess is thrilled to discover that a film is being shot just down the road from Sandy Lane. She can’t wait to meet the lead actor, Bella Ford, who’s coming to the stables to learn to ride side-saddle for the film. But when Bella arrives and sets her sights on Jess’s pony, Skylark, suddenly Jess has to face a very difficult decision.

A lonely boy struggles to cope with school bullies and caring for his mother, until a mysterious encounter reveals life in the Foundling Hospital in the eighteenth century and unravels a touching tale about the power of music. Beautifully illustrated by Kate Greenaway Medal-winning illustrator Michael Foreman.

Twelve-year-olds George, the very unlucky third Lord of Devonshire, and his neighbor, scientist Ada Byron, join forces against a nefarious group of criminals who steal the map to a priceless family heirloom.

Mateo, Ruby, and Corey Hudson’s parents don’t have too many rules. It’s the usual stuff: Be good. Do your homework. And never ride the subway without an adult, EVER. But when the siblings wake up late for school, they have no choice but to break a rule. The Hudson siblings board the subway in Manhattan and end up on a frigate ship in Paris…in the year 1911. As time does tell, the Hudson family has a lot of secrets. The past, present, and future are intertwined—and a time-traveling ship called the Vermillion is at the center. Racing to untangle the truth, the kids find themselves in the middle of one of the greatest art heists of all time. And the adventure is just getting started.